Wed. June 18, 2008

On the lowcarb front:

The scale is up .6 pounds from last Wednesday.

Did treadmill intervals with weights this morning. This consists of 5 minutes of warm-up. 1 minute increased speed on treadmill, 2 minutes of weights, 1 minute running etc until the last 5 minute cool down.

Planned most of my menu for the day. Made oopsie rolls yesterday so I had an oopsie pizza this morning. I brushed 2 oopsies with tomato sauce, topped that with mozzarella and pepperoni. Not bad.

I saw a wonderful dessert on Cleochatra’s blog today - ooopsie layered with whipped cream and topped with blackberries. Too, too decadent.

I have a staff meeting followed by a cookout tomorrow, so, tonight I made an almond encrusted raspberry cheesecake - sugar free of course. I used Emerald Cocoa Roasted almonds. I can't wait to try this. I also made a beautiful salad with romaine, grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and avocado. The pastor is grilling. I have no reason to stray off track tomorrow!

Word of the day:
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said, 'Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

'So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

'And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

'And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Reflections from the cornfield:
It is a fine line, 'twould seem, between being an example and being an exhibitionist. I think the distinction lies in the motivation of the heart. Is the motivation to do good for the sake of doing good? Or is the motivation doing good so as to be thought of as a good person? And what is the blessing of the recipient in either case?

Jesus continually reprimanded the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. He described them as "white washed tombs filled with rotting bones." Matt. 23:27-28 Yes, the Pharisees prayed a lot - publicly. They also heaped burdens on the poor while never lifting a finger to help them. Jesus could see into their hearts and for all their prayers and public piety, it seems that the objective was to be seen as holy men. They blinded themselves to the fact that what they did was not for the glorification of God, but to serve their standing in the eyes of man. (John 9:41)

This past week journalist Tim Russert passed away. Among the many remembrances of his life that were recounted, one stands out in my mind. Sean Hannity tells of a $10,000 donation that Mr. Russert made to Hannity's annual Freedom concerts. This, at Mr Russert's request, was never made public - until after his passing.

Authenticity - that's what it's all about. It's making sure that what's happening on the outside, is a true reflection of what's happening on the inside. "From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks." Matt. 12:34 Take care of the inside and the outside will take care of itself.

In the OA community there is a favorite saying. "What others think of me is none of my business." Words to live by, those are.

God bless the troops

Wed. June 11, 2008 - Atkins Induction day 2

On the lowcarb front:
I did well last night at the staff "bye bye party." I ate before I went. I had diet coke. There were only two of us who weren't drinking beer or wine. Our drinks came in plastic cups. What's up with that?

I have not been doing well with exercise. But I'm working on it. I'm working on it.

Here is my menu for today:

Breakfast:
Mocha latte
Low carb cheescake

Lunch:
ham and cheese sandwich on revoloopsie rolls
sugar free jello cup
romaine and spinach salad with ranch dressing

Snack:
Atkins Advantage bar

Dinner:
Probably an omelette (I am such a creature of habit)

I found a way to have ice cream on induction. (see below)

On the home front:



I am so looking forward to Monday and the official start of my quilting season. I love Eleanor Burns. Her quilting videos which are available free at quilterstv.com are not only great for quilters, but she is a wealth of knowledge on the history behind the patterns. She dispenses her tidbits as she sews the quilt tops. Her folksy style is endearing and I just love to have one of her DVDs going in the background while I am working in my quilting/knitting room.

On the business front:
I have the oils melted and the lye mixed for a batch of soap. I am hoping that my mica powders have arrived because I am eager to make a batch of "Hunter's Soap." The fragrance oil arrived a couple of days ago. It definitely smells earthy. If the mica powder hasn't arrived, I will be making one of the other fragrances that I am low on - either Country Roads or Apple Jack 'n Peel.

I have found some neat new soap dishes that I plan to put on the website. I have been looking for something unique to offer with our hand-made soap. These fit the bill very nicely. I filed for our LLC this morning and now I need to quit spending money for a while. Except that I need more base oils for soaping. Then I close the checkbook. You heard it here folks.

I have some new candle molds that I want to try. They are the perfect size for tarts and for adding to potpourri. I am retiring from the school next January and I am really looking forward to having only one job "off the farm." That will give me more time to get our website stocked.

On the work front:
Tonight I have rehearsal with the weekend cantors. (My other job is music director at my church.) I love our cantors. They help keep me grounded in a sometimes very stressful job. One of our beloved cantors died suddenly last October. He was the "go to" guy for anything that needed to be done. If ever there was a saint on earth, John was it. He did everything around that church. The cantors and I decided to take over one of his duties as a memorial to him. That is the cleaning of the baptismal font.

Our baptismal font is huge, and what John used to do by himself, several of us now do. We have some visitors of the "bat" persuasion. This makes keeping the font clean a challenge. I can usually tell when there is a bat living in the church when I find dust on the floor of the sanctuary. That means something has been flying around and stirring things up.

Sunday we noticed some other, ummm, debris in the font and on one of the walls. (?) Tonight we will be draining the font and cleaning it. And all the while, I hope John will be looking down on us and smiling. We miss you, Cute John!



Some have asked me about the name for this blog. For those of you who don't know, a sugar bush is a maple syrup operation. We are farmers and syrup is our winter crop. Guess who doesn't partake of it very often. But, if you ever get a chance to try a maple cream - and I mean 100% maple cream - it is not to be missed. Of course I don't eat it now, but I plan to work it into my maintenance plan. Maple syrup, in very small quantities is probably doable. It has never caused cravings for me, but I will not being using it for a while.

Challenge of the day:
With what shall I reward myself after an evening of cleaning up bat poop? I'm open to suggestions.

Later . . .


God Bless the troops

June 6 - Atkins Induction Day 5

On the lowcarb front 7:30 am:
Day five and still going strong. It is getting a little easier. Last night DH cooked up some bacon we had processed a couple of weeks ago from a neighbor's hog. Yummmo. No additives, preservatives or sugar there. We had some of it made into Italian sausage, pork chops, and ham steaks. Now if only Sam (DS) were still raising laying hens - I would have it made. There is nothing like a farm fresh egg.

The scale is moving downward and the sticks are starting to turn. I feel really good. I have added in some of the recommended supplements; chromium picolinate, fish oil, and CoQ10. The fish oil is supposed to help with joint pain and I think it's working.

This morning's coffee is in a smaller mug and is 1/3 decaf. Baby steps.

Here is my menu for today:

Breakfast:
Mocha latte
Lowcarb cheesecake

Lunch:
Egg salad on revoloopsie rolls
Romaine and spinach salad with bacon bits and ranch dressing
1 cup sugar free jello beaten with 2 T. cream

Dinner:
not sure yet - Gotta poke around and see what's there.
dessert - Atkins bar

On the home front 4:15 pm:
Well, if it isn't one thing, it's another. Last night I came home to find that we have a leak in the pipe coming from our well. It was quite interesting to see the driveway with a water spout in the middle of it. Thank goodness, there is family in the neighborhood so there was a shower not too far away.

It's been hot and muggy here. Does wonders for a person with hot flashes. grrrr. Not a great time to be without running water.

With the coming of summer, my quilting season begins. I have a couple that I have to finish. One is a baby quilt and the baby will be 2 in October. Granddaughter, Claire-bear, is now sleeping in a big girl bed so she gets a quilt. The Thimbleberries newsletter came out with a cute star quilt. I think that is the pattern I may use for Claire's quilt. Then I have an Eleanor Burns Christmas Quilt the I have made before but want to do again. So many addictions, so little time.

The warm weather is also a good time to measure out my soap batches so that little chore awaits me, too. The school year ends on the 13th so I will have a little more time to do the things I love!

Speaking of weather - it's looking mighty nasty out right now. I hope it's over with before I have to go out.

On the business front:
Still working on those Christmas stockings. I've actually had some orders for them over the last few weeks. I am nervous and excited about the coming season and our ad in Country Sampler.

9:59 pm
Got home from work and the power went out. The good news is that it is now back on and the guys fixed the pipe. Apparently, it's a good thing they didn't wait any longer to fix it. It was pretty bad in several spots. Sooooo, now we have power and water. While we were waiting for the power to come back on, Harold decided to go out to dinner. Anna was here so she went with us. We went to Ponderosa. I made a huge salad and had some baked chicken. I ended up with 20 carbs for the day. I am hugely excited about that. I didn't even flinch when my dinner companions had sundaes. Well, I did flinch and I did ask if they had sugar free ice cream, but that was for future reference.

Tomorrow we have a graduation party so I am packing some string cheese and an atkins bar to have with me just in case there is nothing induction friendly there.

Have a great night all!

Wed. June 4 - Day 3 Atkins Induction

On the Lowcarb Front:
This is day 3. I have 2 days of Atkins induction behind me. Do you think the scale rewarded me? Nope. I am up a half pound. The sticks are stubbornly not purple. (Yes I know they don't turn purple for everyone, but they always have for me. I have a theory about this. At my age, the TOM days are behind me, but . . . I have a suspicion that certain hormonal cycles still continue. There was only one time when those the sticks didn't turn purple (assuming I wasn't off track) and that was during TOM. Even though the scale and the sticks are not co-operating, I am committed to this 2 week stint. Hopefully, some day soon, the "woooosh fairy" will visit me.

I had intended to work out this morning, but it didn't quite pan out. What I need to do is just get it over with first thing in the morning so that I have it. Hopefully, as the weight goes down and I have more energy, I will get myself moving sooner in the morning.

I have been doing pretty well on drinking water too!

Here is today's menu:

Breakfast:
1 piece lowcarb cheesecake
mocha latte (coffee with cream)

Snack:
Atkins Caramel Brownie bar

Lunch:
Romaine lettuce with bacon bits and ranch dressing
Chicken salad on revoloopsie rolls

Dinner:
Omelette with salsa and sour cream

On the home front:
The boxed toilet is still sitting in the dining room. Tonight is supposed to be the night.

On the Flylady front:
Worked on decluttering the laundryroom (entryway). The guys are going to be putting in a new window which happens to be in the cubby where I keep all of my music files for church. The cubby wouldn't need decluttering if that's all I kept there, but it seems to be a catchall for those things I just don't know what to do with. Like that brand new keyboard in a box that I might need some day. Actually, that is probably a legitimate keeper. The 10 year old planners could probably take a hike. Anyway, the bookcase that sits in the cubby is now empty and awaiting the putting in of a new window above it. Of course I still have to deal with the stuff I took out of it, but there are only so many 15 minute segments in a day until school is out for the summer.

I have another wake service tonight and a funeral tomorrow.

On the Kimkins front:
The Fascination thread is strangely quiet which makes me wonder if there is something going on behind the scenes that some of us are not privy to.

_______________________________________________

Friday, May 30, 2008

On the home front:
Well, the boxed toilet is still in the dining room. Hmmmmm. I have pushed it to the side because I am too lazy to walk around it any more.

We got our flowers planted and then God very graciously watered them for us today. Harold's flower bed is filled with flowering kale. I fought him on that last year, but I have to admit that once they came in they were gorgeous. My area consists of 3 large barrels that the kids bought me for mother's day a few years ago. (I don't like to pull weeds, but barrels with impatiens are a no brainer.) That year all of the kids also made me cement garden stones. They look very nice in the front. Nina and Jamie have been getting me stone angels for the last few mother's days. They look great on the west side of the house. I am eagerly awaiting the putting up of the windmill with weathervane that Harold got me for Mother's Day.

We will be moving Anna to her new house this weekend. I am thrilled for her, of course, but I will miss having her so close by.

On the lowcarb front:
Still reading DANDR. I am looking forward to next week. We will be getting high speed internet and then I'll be able to watch Jimmy Moore's Livin' La Vida Lowcarb youtube videos. I can access them at work, but not at home. I often stay after hours so I can watch one of his videos. They are very inspirational. If you are a lowcarber you probably already know about Jimmy, but if not, here is a link to his information.
http://www.livinlavidalowcarb.com/


I made a WONDERFUL cheesecake last night (Lowcarb of course).
This is my method:

4 eight ounce packages cream cheese
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup whipping cream or sour cream
1 cup splenda or equivalent sweetener
1/4 cup DaVinci raspberry sugar free syrup.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
I line the outside of a springform pan with foil.
I then set that in a larger pan (I use around stone cake pan form pampered chef)

Beat all ingredients except syrup until smooth. Stir in syrup and swirl into cream cheese mixture. Pour into springform pan. Add water to the outer pan. Bake for one hour at 300 degrees. Then turn oven down to 200 and bake for one more hour. Turn off the oven. I usually make my cheesecake at night and leave it in the oven all night. Last night I goofed up setting the oven so it stayed in the oven all night at 200 degress. It was fine. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't find my camera or I would take a picture. This method produces a beautiful cheesecake with no cracking!

I could not do lowcarb if I didn't have this decadent cheesecake.

On the business front:
Still plugging along with marketing and getting ourselves known. Not much new to report except that if you are thinking of putting up a website, I just love DIYestore.com. I spent a lot of money trying to find what I wanted. When I stumbled on DIYestore I almost cried. It was exaxtly what I was looking for. Well, I guess you live and you learn.